What Enterprise Holdings sees in Washington, D.C.

Enterprise CarShare officials announced Wednesday that they plan to launch in a fifth major market: Washington, D.C.

“We’re launching in D.C. to answer the call from those who are seeking a car-share option with up-to-date vehicles and first-rate customer service,” Ryan Johnson, assistant vice president of St. Louis-based Enterprise CarShare, said in a statement.

Starting Sept. 23, the car-sharing service will be offered in more than 40 locations throughout the Washington, D.C., metro area, with plans to double the number of locations by the end of November, officials said.

Enterprise CarShare, which offers car rentals for hours or days, is now available on more than 75 university campuses, 40 government and business campuses, and in more than 15 markets including St. Louis, New York, Boston, Philadelphia and Chicago.

Enterprise CarShare is part of Enterprise Holdings, which launched the service in 2011 when it acquired PhillyCarShare in Philadelphia, a nonprofit organization serving more than 13,000 members.

Clayton-based Enterprise Holdings, led by CEO Pam Nicholson, is St. Louis’ largest privately held company with 2012 revenue of $15.4 billion. It also owns and operates the Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Alamo Rent A Car and National Car Rental brands.